Bracket.



' rrsn TATES ATEN'r rare.

LOWELL W. MACY, OF LlNCOLhLNEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF'TO JAMES A. BAILEY, OF SAME PLACE.

' BRACKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 5, 100,'dated July 31, 1900. Application filed November 16, 1899. Serial No. 737,215- (No model-Y To all whom, it mag concern:

Be it known that I, LOWELL W. MACY, a citizen of the United States, residing in Lincoin, in the county of Lancaster and State of Nebraska, have invented new and useful Improvements in Brackets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to brackets, and more particularly to those which are employed in conjunction with ladders to support a plank or other staging. It contemplates the provision of a simple, inexpensive, and safe bracket and one which is readily applicable to and removable from a ladder'and is susceptible of being arranged either at the outer side or inner side of the same, so as to support staging in a position near the wall against which the ladder rests both adjacent to the upper andlower ends of the ladder.

With the foregoing in mind the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claim,'when taken in con j unction with the annexed drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view illustrating two of my improved brackets as applied to two ladders and supporting a plank, said plank being shown by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a vertical section illustrating one of the brackets as disposed at the inner side of a ladder.

Referring by letter to the said drawings, A A are two ladders of the ordinary construction, and B B are brackets constructed in accordance with my invention. These brackets are formed of steel, wrought-iron, or other suitable material and respectively comprise two members 0 D anda pintle E, connecting the same. The member 0 is of T form and made up of a bifurcated shank a, the greatest width of which is vertical, so as to enable it to better sustain weight, and which has transverse apertures b at intervals in the length of its bifurcated portion, and a head 0, which also has its greatest width disposed vertically and terminates in upwardly-extending angularly-disposed hooks (1, adapted to engage a rung of a ladder and present a broad surface 'thereto' after the manner shown. The memberD is likewise of T form and comprises a shank e, havinga fiat portion e, the greatest width of which is vertical and which is provided withapertnresf and adapted to rest in the bifurcation of member 0, and a portion e of circular form in cross-section, and a head 9, also of circular form in cross-section, which has circular hooks h at its ends, said hookshaving openings h of a size to permit the entry of a ladder-rung and being disposed at right angles to the length of the head 9. The membersC D are arranged as shown "with respect to each other-that is to say, the

shank e of member 0 rests in the bifurcation of member D and is connected thereto by the pintle or bolt Ewhereby it will be seen that when not in use the bracket may be folded, so as to take up but a minimum amount of space.

' By virtue of the provision of the circular hooks h on the head 9 of member D the bracket may be arranged at the outer side of a ladder, as shown in Fig. 1,"or may be reversed and used at the inner side thereof, after the manner shown in Fig. 2. When it is desired to use the brackets at the outer sides of two ladders standing against a wall, the members 0 D are connected together through the medium of the bolts E, and the hooks h of the member D are placed in engagement with rungs of the ladders, While the hooks d of the member 0 are placed in engagement with upper rungs of the ladders. After the brackets are placed in position, as stated, a staging made up of one or more planks 'i is placed on the shanks ct of the member 0 to support painters or other mechanics while at work. The arrangement described, which is shown in Fig. 1, is resorted to when the brackets are located adjacent to the upper ends of the ladders, and therefore near the wall against which the ladders rest.

When the brackets have been moved downon the ladders such a distance that the staging is too far away from thewall for the convenience of the workmen, the brackets are arranged at the inner side of the ladders, as shown in Fig. 2, in which position they rest between the ladders and the walland are adapted to support the staging adjacent to the latter. In arranging the bracketsin the last-named position the hooks d ofthe member O are placed in engagement with rungs of the ladder, and the member D is swung upwardly on said member 0, and its circular hooks are placed in engagement with upper rungs of the ladders.

When in either also be appreciated that the bracket may be reversed and shifted from the upper to the under side of a ladder, and vice versa, Without the necessity of disconnecting the members and, further, that a single person standing on the ladder is able with one hand to hold the plank and with the other hand to reverse and shift the bracket in the manner before described.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is- In the reversible ladder-bracket described, the combination of the member 0 formed of one piece of metal and comprising the shank a having the long bifurcation in its outer end and the coincident transverse, apertures b at intervals in the length of the bifurcated portion, and the T-head c at one end of the shank terminating in the upwardly'and downwardly extending hooks d, the member D also formed of one piece of metal and consisting of the shank a resting in the bifurcation of the member O and having transverse apertures f at intervals in its length adapted to register with those of the shank a, the'T-head. g at one end of said shank e, and the circular hooksv h arranged at the ends of the T-head g and disposed at right. angles thereto, and provided with openings 72, of a size to permit of the snug passage of a ladder rung, and a pintle extending through registered apertures 19 f of the members 0, D, respectively, and connectin g said members, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of'two subscribing wit- IIGSSGS.

' LOWELL MAOY.

W'itnesses:

A. ROBERTS, T. H. HATCH. 

